


Upper class twit of the year.

by metalmaddog



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 18:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10769700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metalmaddog/pseuds/metalmaddog
Summary: Grinnaux makes minchi and we find out something shocking about him.





	Upper class twit of the year.

The Vault’s winter garden was in full bloom around the whole year. The sea of red flowers extended from one end to the other creating a rather dramatic carpet of blood, reminding Vault dwellers throughout the years of Dravanian blood they had spilled in their own glory. Despite the gruesome imagery it gave, it was one of the more relaxing areas of the enormous building and King Thordan VII, along with his closest, could often be found in it relaxingly strolling in the paved aisles between the flowers or on occasions even enjoying tea at tables set out on the more open area in the middle.   
Today was one of those days His Holiness had decided to enjoy his morning tea in the company of his trusted Knights. Several small tables were laid out between the crimson flowers. On the tables a porcelain set of cups and saucers were used bearing the Heavens’ Ward crest on it: otherwise they were snow white and had gilded trimmings on the edges. The seating arrangement was so that there were four people to each table and the closest to the Archbishop obviously sat with him. But the others had taken seats quite randomly with whomever they were the closest.   
The three who arrived last got rather disapproving looks from Ser Zephirin and Ser Charibert. They looked rather a haggard bunch with bruises and barely brushed hairs, their faces were also rather tired and worn out but at least no stubbles were present. It was obvious they had been enjoying their evening, night and probably most part of the morning, too, in the Forgotten Knight. Silently but with a rather grumpy faces they sat into the last available seats which were with Ser Noudenet. No one usually sat with him if they could avoid it since he kept always doing something rather than being social at the table: even now he had several books he had laid down and was heatedly writing notes from them. He looked like he had not slept for days: his appearance matching his hangoverish brothers at the table.   
Entering the Heavens’ Ward had certainly been something I wanted to do but it had not quite turned out as I had hoped. These ridiculously womanly picnics in the garden for one. The cups, the flowers, Ser Charibert looking so very pleased with himself were all chocobo dung to my mind. I would have voiced it out too but last time the punishment for speaking out had been a good thrashing from Ser Zephirin and several burns from Ser Charibert that were still quite painful. I chose to keep my mouth shut and grabbed the tea cup. It was not a beer mug and I should have remembered that. The warm tea spilled into my lap as the cup broke and all I could think about was how much I hated this. I threw the cup back on the table. My thin patience had worn out quite quick despite me trying to hold onto it.  
“This is complete and utter muck! I am a warrior not some dandy!” I roared and decided I would not be made to do this anymore. I kicked the table making Noudenet cry out in his usual unmanly manner when his things went flying. The wimp looked appropriately like a woman in his laughable dress.   
“My notes…!” He hurried to save the papers and Ser Guerrique quickly rushed to help him. Always doing such noble things, what the hell did that guy think he was? These people. All of them always thinking they were better than me even if I was a Dzemael. I grabbed one of the chairs and smashed it right into Ser Haumeric and Hermenost’s table. I got even further soaked with tea and it also rained on my various foods laid on the table. What was that irritating noise?  
“A bird? There is a bird here again. That noise is infernal!” I could hear it and looking up I also saw a few of them happily perching on the ceiling beams. I didn’t notice Zephirin getting up, indicating to the Ignasse and Paulecrain something but the latter shook his head outright refusing an order while Hermenost leaned to say something to Haumeric who raised his staff.   
I knew he was casting but it was already too late: I had barely managed to grab the table I was going to throw at him when my whole body suddenly froze and I saw ice wrapping me up all over. The coldness of it burned through my flimsy clothing and the anger in me rose to a fever pitch. I hardly remember anything after that but the ice started cracking when I flexed my muscles and I saw a few, rather frightened and about to piss their pants and dresses, Knights taking off into the direction of the door. But everything from this on became simply hazy still images of broken things and people.  
I came to and several of them were sitting on my arms and chest holding me pinned to the floor. We were inside now, probably in the kitchen because I could smell food and it calmed me down immensely. My stomach crumbled. I wanted that food right now.   
“Ser Grinnaux, have you calmed down enough to be let go?” Zephirin said in a loud and cold voice as he and Adelphel were both sitting on my right arm: the little things were probably too light on their own to hold it down. It amused me a little, how pathetic they all were compared to me. I was bigger and stronger than any of them and they could stuff their snide comments about my intellect. My hunger was suddenly forgotten despite the nagging feeling in my belly. A shadow came over me and I turned my head a little to see the most frightening sight: an angry Ser Charibert.   
“I um… I am calm, I am calm… don’t let him hurt me…”   
“I am afraid we are quite past the point where you will not get disciplined, Ser Grinnaux.” Our most revered leader spoke again. I still thought he was a pathetic little wimp but I was now more worried about getting burned alive. As long as the others were all sitting on me then the damn insane bitch could not get to me, right? But just then Zephirin commanded them to move. I quickly sat up rubbing my arms since they were feeling rather numb. I tried to keep my head down in hopes of Ser Charibert forgetting about me.   
“Come with me, Ser Grinnaux.” I felt something leathery attached to my neck but when I tried to stand up he hit me with his staff on the back of my knees making me fall down again. “No, you come like that. If you behave like an animal we shall treat you like one.” The position was humiliating but I couldn’t do anything to him. He would surely scorch me before I’d have time to grab him and hold him down. I felt him sitting on my back and his weight was surprisingly light for such a tall man. I kept my head down not wanting to see the expression of the other Knights: surely they were making fun of me again and laughing at the great bull being tamed by an utter woman like Ser Charibert.   
He rode on my back through the garden to show the mess I had made of the lovely picnic all the while explaining how they would have to have new set of dishes made because of me and kept wondering who’d pay for it. I was merely half listening, the shame burning me up inside and making me feel as weak as them.   
Why was I being subjected to this ridiculous behaviour? I had hoped we would slay giant dragons and go on adventures together: become the kind of legends those before us had been but here I was being ridden on by Ser Charibert while he slapped my backside occasionally to make me move faster.   
Besides the winter garden there was a mess in the corridor where I had apparently punched a few of the priests and thrown them into a wall leaving blood spots. In the Quire, where I had tried to drown Ser Adelphel until Ser Janlenoux had hit me over the head with a frying pan, Ser Charibert boxed my ears painfully for behaving so disgracefully in a holy place.  
Finally we reached the lower floors where Ser Charibert had a dungeon and a few interesting gadgets just for occasions like these. The others had followed and were all standing quietly behind us. I risked a glance noticing a few of them had a bruise or another in their pretty faces. Perhaps I should have checked myself before going on this rampage: none of them looked amused. I tried to find my Paulecrain but could not spot his calming white hair anywhere.   
“Mmm, are you missing your property, Ser Grinnaux? Could this be it?” Ser Charibert spoke sweetly and turned around his vertical rack to reveal quite distressed looking and firmly tied up Paulecrain. Ser Charibert lovingly rubbed Paulecrain’s cheek. “This naughty boy still quite doesn’t understand you are not his master anymore.” I wished I could have torn off those arms. Paulecrain deserved none of this.  
“Please… let him go… it’s all my fault, just punish me.” I hit my forehead onto the cold floor but I couldn’t bear the thought of them hurting him.   
“Oh, he says please… how very fascinating you are, Ser Grinnaux The Bull, but I am afraid we have already tried that method and it did not seem to have the desired result. So I thought we must needs find a better way to get through your thick skull.” The frightening man’s soft and pleasant voice suddenly changed. “You will watch this and remember it next time you wish to behave out of line.”   
But I did not want to watch and couldn’t force myself, so I averted my eyes when Paulecrain sobbed in pain at something Ser Charibert did with a burning poker. For a while I kept having to listen since I was unable to close my ears from the unfamiliar voice coming from the man I cared most in the world about: my only friend and my lover. I didn’t even realise until somewhat later that the sobbing I heard was my own and not his. I looked up to find him half stripped from his clothing with burn marks all over his body: he looked like he was shaking and barely conscious now.   
“Please… I’ll do anything…”  
“Very well…” Ser Charibert gave Zephirin who had been standing at a side looking grim, while half trying not to even follow the proceedings. But he could neither afford to look weak in front of the men he was supposed to command. Ser Charibert’s methods were not to his liking and he did not believe they brought wanted results either but there was little else he could do with Ser Grinnaux as the man had no respect for him. Zephirin brought a piece of parchment with several written lines in front of me and crouched down close to me.  
“Read this out loud: it is what His Eminence wishes from you… and take these words to heart. You will not be tolerated no matter your birth if you keep disobeying.” I felt his hand on my shoulder and oddly enough it calmed me down so I looked down at the squiggly lines only to realise this would be something that I might not be able to get away with: something incredibly embarrassing I had kept from almost everyone in my life. My family did not know and neither did my brother Knights. No one knew the biggest and most shameful secret I had. I swallowed and looked around but no one was laughing, at least not yet but I was sure they would be and I had to come up with something to distract them.  
“I… I…uh… I promise I won’t do anything bad again. I won’t become angry and destroy things.” I made a wild guess at what the paper read.  
“You have to read it.” Ser Zephirin said.   
“I… I… can’t you just cut off my ear or something?! I am sure it’s a fitting punishment! You whoresons.” Suddenly I got up and threw the paper from my sight but I couldn’t possibly keep my anger up when a flame appeared between Ser Charibert’s fingers and it quickly moved towards Paulecrain’s groin.   
“I can’t read! I can’t read! I can’t read it… because… I don’t know how to read…” I fell back down and covered my face and wished I had covered my ears also because the sniggering behind me started soon enough. But it did seem to distract Ser Charibert from hurting Paulecrain and instead fight to keep up a straight face.  
“Ah… A Dzemael son who can’t read? Well… well…” I hated him from the bottom of my soul when he started to cackle like an old crone. They were all laughing now and I bowed my head in utter shame. ‘At least Paulecrain is safe for now’ was the only thought I could hold onto when my anger was turning my head into a mess along with their laugher.


End file.
